AP: Series Shanghai qualifying report

Menzel on Pole in Shanghai
Team StarChase driver Christian Menzel took pole position for Round 10 of
the
2009 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia as the current points' leader out-paced
the next
closest driver by four-tenths of a second at the Shanghai ...

Menzel on Pole in Shanghai

Team StarChase driver Christian Menzel took pole position for Round 10 of
the
2009 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia as the current points' leader out-paced
the next
closest driver by four-tenths of a second at the Shanghai International
Circuit today.
Joining Menzel on the front row for Sunday's race is Team Jebsen driver
Darryl
O'Young, while Tim Sugden was third fastest at the end of the 30-minute
qualifying
session.

In Class B, Corum ThunderAsia Racing's Melvin Choo earned pole position
with the
sixth overall fastest time of the session, while Team PCS Racing driver
Yuey Tan
and Jacob & Co Racing Team's Philip Ma were second and third fastest in
the
category, respectively.

Earning one point for pole position, Menzel is now two points ahead of
Sugden in the
chase for the 2009 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia title, and with Rounds 10 and
11 taking
place tomorrow, a tight and intensely competitive race is on the cards.

With his eye on the prize, the experienced German immediately asserted
himself in
the session, posting the pole-setting time on his second lap. Menzel
narrowly missed
out on the title last year, and as he rightly observed: "At this stage
in the season,
every single point is important."

Two-time and defending Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champion O'Young also
posted
his fastest time early in the session. The Hong Kong driver is currently
third in the
points and knows he must put together a strong weekend if he is to stay
in the game.

Joining Sugden on the second row is 22-year old Rodolfo Avila of Asia
Racing Team,
while another young talent, Dutch driver Danny Chu, qualified fifth.

Taking his third pole position of the season, Menzel believes the point
earned is
almost more important than ensuring the best starting position for the
race: "Qualifying
is a chance for me to win a point and now I am two points in front of
Tim. Now, every
single point is extremely important. I have to say compliments to Team
StarChase as
at the moment the car is perfect and to get over fourth-tenths of a
second over Darryl
is very good. I look forward to the races tomorrow."

O'Young said he struggled slightly with the handling during the session
and had been
trying a variety of measures to achieve the perfect set-up. Still, the
Team Jebsen driver
was pleased to be on the front row: "Now we just have to catch up a
bit, try to pass
Menzel at the start and fight from there."

Sugden, meanwhile, was hoping for Lady Luck to pay him a visit in Round
10. "Third
was as fast as I could get," the Briton said. "There was much more
understeer than
before, but never mind -- onto the races! I think we'll be alright in
the race and now I
just need to look forward to a first corner incident."

Class B pole man Choo attributed his success to concentrating and
correcting some
"bad habits" which he had picked up over the season. In practice, the
Singaporean had
worked on his technique: "It paid off in the end!" he exclaimed.
"I'm satisfied with the
session and I'm driving better."

Five teams and four drivers will fly the flag for China as Rounds 10 and
11 of the 2009
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia take place Sunday in support of the China
Touring Car
Championship.